Valedictory Speech Text - Iium 25th Convocation Ceremony

AHMAD ‘ADLAN BIN MOHAMED KHALIDI

VALEDICTORY SPEECH

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Welcome to the 25th IIUM Convocation Ceremony. Ahlan wasahlan wamarhaban bikum. Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alamin. Wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala ashrafil mursalin. Wa ‘ala alihi wasahbihi ajmain. Praise be to Allah and the university for giving me the honour of presenting the valedictorian speech in the hall. As students of this respectful university, we have toiled and studied for five to six years in our pursuit for knowledge. There are lots of challenges out there waiting for us. Do you think you are capable of facing the challenges? It’s going to be another learning process but I believe IIUM has groomed us to be the best in the market. Ladies and gentleman, brothers and sisters. As IIUM graduates especially from architecture, we should inculcate the Islamic principles and values from the initial design stage till the construction of the building. This is what Islamic architecture is all about; to design buildings which optimizes comfort for humans while maximizing the resources given by Allah, with less harm to the environment as what is obliged upon us as His khalifah on this earth. In relation to that, harmony between men and the environment is important in architecture as we need one another to survive. Without nature, men cannot build anything. Thus, part of Islamic architecture is the implementation of the eco friendly design which is also known as sustainable design, using environmentally conscious design techniques; which is to design in mind not only for the generation now but also for our future generation as well. May I seek the permission from the honorable Rector to continue my speech in Arabic language.

‫أيها الجمع الكريم‬، ‫ طلبها ليكونوا في المستقبل مهندسين معماريين‬،‫تعد كلية المارة وتصميم البيئة‬ .‫ والسلوك المهني القويم‬،‫ والمبادئ الخلقية‬، ‫ يتحلون بقيم السلم الراقية‬،‫مهرة‬ ‫ فهي كذلك رسالة سامية‬.‫وذلك من أجل العمل على اعمار الوطن والمة السلمية‬ ،‫ العالمية‬،‫ السلمة‬،‫ التكامل‬: ‫للجامعة السلمية العالمية المتمثلة في شعارها‬ ‫والتفوق الشامل‬.

AHMAD ‘ADLAN BIN MOHAMED KHALIDI

VALEDICTORY SPEECH

Brothers and sisters, I may not be the best person to talk about architecture, but I know that everyone of us, inside this majestic hall, has the same worldview. It is not just an Islamic worldview but we are all creative people. The university recognizes KAED students as talented, creative and artistic bunch of students. But I see it differently. Do you know that Engineering and ICT students are also among the creative thinkers in this university? I can say that because for the past four years, both Kulliyyahs has won lots of award for their research. I hope that from now on, my juniors in KAED will also contribute and participate in design competitions. Let us show that IIUM students are equally adhere among the students of other universities. Last May, I participated in the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition ITEX in KL Convention Centre. I have seen lots of research project from other universities and also our dearest Kulliyyah of Engineering and ICT. I’ve started to think that there are lots of things that can be produced based on the research that lecturers and some students have done. Brothers and Sisters, A good product is something that we need to perform specific task in our daily life. It is interesting to see how some of the products in the near future, will have Islamic features. I know, there are lots of building, mosques that have visual and spiritual Islamic elements. But I can’t wait to see lots of Islamic products in the market soon. One day, some of us will produce and develop good products for the nation and Muslim countries. This is going to be a challenge for all of us, InsyaAllah. Ladies and gentlemen, Have you heard of this quotation, “Don’t ask what the country has done for you, but try to ask what you have contributed to the country”. I will always remember this line because we, as creative people, have to push ourselves to design and innovate the technology. This is one of the ways we can utilize our skills and knowledge after graduating. One of the best things that I learnt from IIUM is to grab all the opportunities right in front of us. We will never know when it will come again. Opportunities should be seen as challenges that we should overcome and bounties from Allah that we should value. In this opportunity, I would like to express my gracious gratitude to Students Development Division (S-DEV) for providing the students with lots of opportunities in the co curricular field. The first society I joined during my undergraduate study in IIUM was AKHI Club under Community Service Unit (CENSERVE). At that time, my intention was to mix around with

AHMAD ‘ADLAN BIN MOHAMED KHALIDI

VALEDICTORY SPEECH

IIUM students from other kulliyyahs, to socialise and make some new friends. Surprisingly, AKHI Club turned out to be a stepping stone for me to greater stages. It has opened doors to other opportunities and other great programmes as well. Dear colleagues, I would like to urge you to grab every opportunity for self-interest and for your own benefit in the future. I would also like to thank IIUM for giving me the opportunity to earn my degree, as well as providing a platform to grow myself. Co curricular activities that IIUM provides have helped me to groom myself so that I have the courage to face the real world. I would like to thanks the government of Malaysia for supporting me financially through PTPTN. I also would like to thank all lecturers especially Bro. Fakhul Zaman and Bro Muhammad Husin from Applied Arts & Design department for their guidance, patience and knowledge. Not to forget, all officers including non-academic staff, and technicians for your help and assistance during my stay in this university. They make my campus life colourful because we live like one big family. My appreciation also goes to my friends who have been with me, through the joy and pain, I will always cherish the memories in this university for the rest of my life. To all my studio mates, studio life is the most memorable experience as we had collaborated in the learning process in IIUM. Despite all the tough critiques and challenges, I’m glad that finally, we’ve made it to this far. Congratulations! Before I end my speech, I would like to thank my parents, Mr Mohamed Khalidi and Mrs Meria Sudin for their support, guidance and love and my beloved Nurulhuda. I was a naughty boy back in secondary school. I was afraid that my parents will hate me because of my poor discipline, but I’m glad that they still love me as their son. I know I have done lots of mistakes when I was growing up. Being scolded by my mum was hard, but it is a precious memory that I’ll always treasure for the rest of my life. It was their advice and guidance that made me what I am today. Terima kasih Abah dan Mama! Allow me to end my speech with a traditional Malay pantun. Pengajian kita berakhir di sini, Tapi hari ini bukanlah penamat, Bersamalah kita hidup dan berbakti, Semoga berjaya di dunia dan akhirat. Till then, wabillahi taufik walhidayah, wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.